EDINBURGH landlords will be banned from renting out their flats for longer than three months through Airbnb as part of moves to preserve the “unique” character of the city.
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The move comes after the listings for the digital platform in the Scottish capital swelled to more than 9,000 last year.
Airbnb has provided the Scottish Government with the first series of proposals of its kind in the world designed to improving the short-term rental sector in Edinburgh based on the need to find a balance between serving tourists and residents in the Scottish capital.
The company behind the community marketplace for short-term rentals, which cuts out rental agencies and can undercut hotels, has lodged its bespoke proposals to the Scottish Government’s Expert Panel on the Collaborative Economy, which is examining elements of of the so-called sharing economy including home lets, via an evidence submission.
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Key proposals include to limit hosting in the city centre to 90 nights per year, excluding during festivals and festive period, as well as for implementing a complaint reporting process for Airbnb and other online platforms.
Also among the proposals are specific industry-wide regulations for Edinburgh city centre which it is claimed will clampdown on unauthorised operators and support people who choose to share their homes as well as professional short-term rental providers.
While residents in the city have been capitalising on demand for accommodation during the festivals for decades, with some vacating their family home every August and handing it over to short-term tenants, more people are making money from their spare rooms or renting out their entire homes using the Airbnb.
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The average price in Edinburgh is £129 a night, typically bringing owners around £3,600 a year by hosting guests 38 nights of the year, and demand is said to be so high that only five per cent of their listings are still available during the festival.
However, some people have raised concerns that Airbnb is unregulated and is ruining the city for residents who find themselves living next to an ongoing stream of visitors.
My statement in response to AirBnB trying to presume to set Scottish policy in relation to short-term lets. #homesfirst pic.twitter.com/Fl7fRsBUPy
— Andy Wightman MSP (@andywightman) January 18, 2018
The city's hoteliers also have voiced concerns over the impact on the sector and Willie Macleod, executive director in Scotland for the British Hospitality Association, said earlier: "While we are not afraid of competition, what we are concerned about is the unregulated nature of Airbnb and similar organisations, and their lack of transparency."
Andy Wightman, Green Lothian MSP, above, said: “AirBnB are very welcome to put forward ideas about how their own operation might be reformed to assist us in regulating short-term lets.
"There is a risk, however, of confusing two very different issues. The first is the rules around people sharing their own main home as part of the collaborative economy.
"The second is the conversion of homes into commercial short term letting operations.
“If AirBnB are willing to help limit the abuse of their online operation by commercial letting operators, that is welcome, but by itself would not solve the problem.
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An Airbnb spokesperson said: “We always welcome discussions on clear home sharing rules and are pleased that Scotland is taking steps to support local families.
“Airbnb guests boost Scotland’s economy by £1 million a day and we are pleased to be working with the government on clear home sharing rules, so more Scots can benefit directly from innovative forms of tourism.”
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